Shotgun action



W. H. B. -SMITH SHOTGUN ACTION Feb. 12, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed-Dec. 2, 1959 CFL W. H. B. SMITH SHOTGUN ACTION Feb. 12,- 1963 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Deo. 2, 1959 ATTORNEY5 Feb. 12,: 1963 w. H. B.SMITH 3,077,045

SHOTGUN ACTION Filed Dec. 2, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENT OR ATTORNEYSFeb. 12; 1963 w. H. B. SMITH 3,077,045

SHOTGUN ACTION Filed Dec. 2, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1N VENTOR ATTORNEYStates The present invention relates to Shotguns and more particularly toa breech-loaded, single-shot, single barrel shotgun having the weight,feel and appearance and utilizing many of the parts of pump action orautomatic shotguns.

In educating the beginner in use of guns, it is a common practice totrain him on a manually operated single-shot rie or shotgun, as the casemay be, until he becomes thoroughly familiar with the range andcapabilities of the particular class of weapon under consideration. Thediiiculty with such a procedure, and this iS particularly true withregard to Shotguns, is that the guns now available for beginners aredifferent in balance, weight and appearance and in actual operation fromthe weapons which the individual, once he is trained, will be calledupon to utilize. Therefore, even though a beginner may be trainedinsofar as the general capabilities of a particular class of weapons areconcerned, once hc graduates to the more standard weapons of that class,he must relearn many of the techniques which he developed whileutilizing the beginners gun. Specifically, where there are difierencesin weight, and balance, he must accustom himself to these new physicalfeatures and where the locations of the operating members are different,he must become accustomed to the new locations so that it becomes amatter of routine to reach for them at their proper location.

In addition to the difficulties which are encountered by the beginner inconsequence of the beginners gun being quite diierent in most respectsfrom the weapons he will eventually employ, the provision of two`weaponswhich are different in all material respects is uneconomical to themanufacturer. The beginners gun, as indicated above, normally diers inweight, size and balance from the more sophisticated models of the sameclass of weapons and therefore necessitates the production of differentbarrels, different stocks and requires not only the production of thesemembers, but also the stocking of more parts than might otherwise benecessary.

it is -an object of the present invention to provide a single shot,single-barrel, shotgun, particularly designed for beginners, which hasthe appearance, Weight and balance of the pump action and automaticShotguns.

lt is another object of the present invention to provide a single barrelshotgun for beginners which may utilize the barrels and stocks of pumpaction or automatic Shotguns.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an extremelyeconomical Single-shot, single-barrel, shotgun of economical designwhich may utilize the barrels and stocks of the more sophisticated gunsof this class and which has many of its operating parts in the samelocations as the corresponding parts on the automatic and pump actionShotguns.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a single-shot,single-barrel, shotgun having a breech block which may acceptvariousgageshotgun barrels.

'ice

It is another object of the present invention to provide a single-shot,single-barrel shotgun of extremely simple design which permits visualtting of all members thereby to lessen manufacturing costs.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a Single-shot,single-barrel, shotgun which may be disassembled into two mainsub-assemblies that include in the one assembly the barrel and breechblock and in the other assembly the action and the stock.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a leveraction cocking assembly which renders the cooking action extremely easy.

lt is another object of the present invention to provide ashotgun-having a cocking lever that also serves to unlock the breech bywithdrawing a locking bolt which normally engages the breech block.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a shotgunwherein the cocking lever also serves to unlock the breech block and inwhich the sear of the trigger engages and holds a striker assemblybefore the breech block is unlocked. l A

it is another object of the present invention to provide a shotgunhaving a safety mechanism which prevents the tiring pin from contactinga shell unless the breech block is locked in closed position.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a single-shot,single-barrel, shotgun having a cross-safety which may be removedwithout taking the finger from the trigger or removing the hand from itsnormal position' when the finger is engaging the trigger.

it is yet another object of the present invention to provide asingle-shot, single-barrel shotgun having an ejector mechanism whichejects cartridges only when the breech is fully open.

lt is another object of the present invention to provide a single-shot,single-barrel, shotgun in which an action cover may be readily removedto expose all working parts' of the shotgun.

lt is another object of the present invention to provide' a Single-shot,single-barrel shotgun utilizing a striker ten-l sion adjusting screw fordeveloping tension in the strikerv only after it has been assembled inthe -action so that the striker compression spring is under only lightcompression when the mechanism is being assembled.

lt is yet another object of the present invention to provide asingle-shot, single-barrel, shotgun having a straight.4

line movement of the tiring mechanism.

lt is yet another object of the present invention to provide a triggersuspension mechanism .for a shotgu'nwhich? may be readily mounted andwhichis mounted infsuch", away as to optimize the mechanicalV advantageof the` system so that the movement required for tiring of the gun isminimized.

It is another object of the present invention to providel a single-shot,Single-barrel shotgun of unusually low cost and of extremely simpledesign.

The above and still further objects, features and advantages of thepresent invention will become apparent" upon consideration of thefollowing detailed description of one specific embodiment thereof,especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FGURE 1 is a vertical view partly in section of the4V vright side of theshotgun of the present invention;v

FIGURE 2 is a top view partly in section of the shotgun of the presentinvention;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURES 4a and 4b are respectively side and top views in section of thebolt of the present invention;

FIGURES 5a and 5b are front and side elevation views respectively of theaction cover of the present invention;

FIGURE 6 is a side view in elevation of the action in the cockedposition;

FIGURE 7 is a view taken along line '7 7 of FIG- URE 3;

FIGURE k8 is a front elevational view of the frame of the mechanism ofthe present invention;

FIGURE 9 is a front elevational view of the block and frame assembly ofthe apparatus; and

FIGURE l is a side view in elevation of the action of the presentinvention in the block released position of the. various members of theshotgun of the invention.

' Referring specicallyto FIGURES 1 through 3 of the accompanyingdrawings, the shotgun of the present invention, comprises a frame member2, in which is assembled the action of the invention, a stock 1 securedto the frame 2 by means of a stock bolt 4, breech cover 3 pivotallysecured at its forward end to the frame 2 by means of a hinge pin 5, abarrel 6 seated in and secured t'o the cover 3 and a forearm 7 suitablysecured to the barrel 6 and maintained in alignment with the frame 2 bymeans of a Vforearm stud 8.

The frame 2 has a generally vertical rear wall 9 having an inclinedthreaded aperture 11 for receiving the stock bolt 4, a horizontallydisposed threaded aperture A12 arranged above the aperture 11 forreceiving a main spring screw 13, and a centrally disposed arcuaterecess 14 for receiving a rearwardly extending lug 16 of a trigger 17.Arranged immediately forward of the rear wall 9 is a rectangular recess18 defined by a bottom wall 20 and a vertical front wall 19, and acrossthe width of the frame 2. The wall 19 serves to separate the action ofthe shotgun, disposed in the rectangular recess 18 from the breech blockassembly which is arranged forwardly of the wall 19. The portion of theframe 2 disposed forwardly of the wall 19 constitutes a U-shaped channelmember 21 defined by a bottom wall 22 and opstanding side Walls 23 and24. The forward portions of the walls 24y starting at about theapproximate location of the hinge pin are tapered downwardly as at 26for purposes to be described subsequently.

"The forward wall 19 is provided with an upper longitudinally-extendingaperture 27 which receives a firing pin 28 of a striker assembly 29 anda lower horizontallyextending aperture 30 which receives a bolt 31. Thestriker assembly 29 comprises the tiring pin 28 and a striker 32. Thestriker 32 comprises a generally cylindrical body having a flat 33formed on the forward portion o f its right side and terminating in aforwardlydirected rounded shoulder 34, disposed in the vertical plane.The rear portion of the striker 32 has an axiallyextending, aperture 36n which ,is disposed the` forward end of a main spring 37. A main springguide lrod 38 has a head portion 39 adjacent the forward surface of therear wall 9 and a body portion which extends into the aperture 36 in thestriker body 32. The main spring 37y is`disposed about the body of theguide rod, 38 and one end seats against the end wall of the aperture 36in the striker-32 while the other end is seated against the head 39 oftheguide 38 and therefore biases the striker assembly 29 to its forwardposition as illustrated in FIG- URES 1 and 3 with the firing pin 28extending through the forward wall 19. of the frame 2 and into theregion of the block 3,. The rng pin 28 extends into an axiallyextendingaperture 41 in the forward end of the striker body 32 and may-besuitably secured therein by punching or .other suitable means. Thestriker assembly 29 is supported at its forward end by the firing pin`28 and at its back end by the screw 13 which is adapted to extendthrough the wall 9 and into a recess 35 in the head 39 of the guide 38.

Disposed below and to the right of the striker assembly 29 and locatedbetween the walls 9 and 19 is a bolt assembly generally designated bythe reference numeral 42. The bolt assembly 42 comprises the bolt 31 anda bolt spring guide assembly 43. The bolt which is illustrated in detailin FIGURES 4a and 4b comprises a generally cylindrical body having anarcuate, downwardlysloping portion 44 at its forward end whichterminates in a transverse lip 46, the upper surface of which lies in ahorizontal plane transverse to the axis of the rifle. The bolt 31 has avertical slot 47 which extends over a substantial portion of its lengthfrom the back end and is intersected by a transverse horizontal aperture48 adapted to receive an operating lever retaining pin 49. A rearwardportion of the bolt 31 is provided with a hollow cylindrical apertureadapted to receive a bolt spring 50 and the forward end of a bolt springguide rod 51.y The bolt spring guide rod is integral with and axiallyaligned with a cylindrical body 52 having a flat 53 on its left side toprevent rubbing between the trigger 17 and the member 52 and has a flatmachined on its right side to which is suitably secured, as by brazing,an action shield 54 for purposes to be described subsequently. Theshield 54 extends upwardly to approximately the bottom of the head 39 ofthe main spring guide 38, it being shown cut away in FIGURE l so as notto obscure the trigger 17. The body 52 of the bolt spring guideterminates in a rearwardly extending stud 56 seated in a recess in therear wall 9 of the frame 2, the stud serving to maintain the guide inits proper position.

The bolt 31 when in its forwardmost position locks the cover 3 in itsclosed position, as illustrated in FIG- URES 1-3 and in order to releasethe cover 3, a mechanism must be provided for retracting the bolt. Themechanism for retracting the bolt 31 constitutes an operating lever 57disposed in the vertical slot 47 in the bolt 31 and pivoted thereto bymeans of a pin 49disposed in the apertures 4S in the bolt 31 and asuitable aperture in the lever 57. The lever 57 terminates at its lowerend in an arcuate portion 58 which is seated in and rotatable in anarrow slot 59 formed in the bottom wall of the frame 2 and extendinginto an arcuate portion in the lower rear surface of the wall 19. Theupper end of the operating lever 57 terminates in a head portion 61disposed in line with and immediately forward of the shoulder 34 of thestriker body 32. The head. portion 61 of the operating lever 57 extendsoutwardly to the right of the main body of the lever and has securedthereto a transverse extending operating lever pin 62 which is adaptedto. be engaged by an operating arm 63. The operating arm 63 is pivotallysecured to the inner portion of the right hand wall of an action cover64.

The operating arm 63 constitutes a bell crank having a generallyvertical yarm 65 connected to a rearwardly and upwardly-extending arm60. The vertical arm 65 has a vertically-extending elongated slot 75 inwhich is seated the pin 62 of the operating lever 57. The bell crank ispivoted at the intersection of the arms 65 and (it)v about a pin 70extending through and inwardly from the right wall of the action cover64. The upper end ofV the arm 6i) is disposed adjacent an arcuategenerally extending slot formed in the right side of the action coverand is adapted to be connected to an operating arm handle 80, which isdisposed outwardly of the cover 64 and extends through the slot 75 intoengagement with the upper end of the arm 60. The shape and size of thearm 73 and the location of the pin 70 are chosen such that when thelever is in its rest position, abutting the rear surface of the wall 19,the operating arm handle is located atthe top of the slot 75.

The action cover 64 comprises an inverted generally U-shaped memberwhichis disposed between and snugly v engages at its ends the walls 9and 19. The width of the cover 64 corresponds exactly to the width ofthe frame and each vertical wall of the U-shaped member 64 is providedwith a longitudinally-centrally-disposed, downwardly-dependingrectangular tab 66. Each of the tabs 56 is adapted to lit in arectangular recess 67 formed along each side of the frame 2 intermediatethe walls 9 and 19 and an action cover pin 67 is adapted to extendthrough apertures 68 in the rectangular portions 56 which are alignedwith an aperture 69 extending transversely through the frame member 2centrally of the rectangular cut out portions 67. The action shield 54is aligned with the slot 75 in the action cover 64 and serves to preventaccess to the action through the slot 75 for purposes of safety andappearance.

The trigger 17 completes the action and constitutes a member having agenerally horizontal upper member 7l terminating at its back end in thelug i6 by means of which it is supported within the frame 2, andterminating at its forward end in a hook or sear 72 adapted to engage arecess 73 formed in the striker body 32 on its under surface. The rearsurface of the Sear 72 and the rear wall of the recess 73 extendupwardly and rearwardly so that when the striker body 32 is retractedand the sear 72 of the trigger 17 engages therewith, there is a positiveforce tending to retain the sear '72 within the recess 73. The triggeri7 further comprises a portion 74 which depends downwardly from theupper member 7l through a longitudinally-extending slot 4? in the bottomwall 20 of the frame 2 to a position below the frame where the triggerhas the shape of the conventional rifle trigger as designated by thereference numeral 75. The trigger 17 is biased to rotate about thetrigger lobe 16 by means of a trigger compression spring 'i7 which seatsin a recess 78 in the rear surface of the member 74 of the trigger. Thetrigger spring extends from the recess 78 into contact with the forwardsurface of the vertical wall 9 of the frame assembly.

The trigger i7 is provided with a trigger guard 79 of conventionalshape, which is secured to the piece at two locations. The iirst pointof attachment of the guard 79 is forward of the trigger 17 and comprisesa screw 3l extending through a vertical aperture in the bottom of theframe 2 and into a threaded recess in the trigger guard 79 forward ofthe trigger i7. The other point of 'at-- tachrnent is provided by atrigger guard stud screw S2' threaded into a recess in the bottom of therear wall fj of the frame 2 and having a stud head 90 with atransversely-extending aperture for receiving a trigger guard pin S3.The pin 33 passes through the aperture in the head 9@ of the pin Si andinto an aperture in the trigger guard which is aligned with the aperturein the head of the stud 82.

Describing now the operation of the iring mechanism of the presentinvention when it is desired to cock the piece, the operating arm handleSti is rotated downwardly, that is, counterclockwise about the pin 76which exerts a rearward pull upon the pin 52 of the operating lever 57.The lever S7 is caused to rotated about the point of contact of itsportion 55 and the walls of the slot 59' formed in the frame 2 andpushes rearwardly on the shoulder 34 of the striker body 32 to overcomethe force of the main spring 37. Upon the striker body 32 beingretracted suiciently, the recess 73 formed in the bottorn of the strikerbody becomes aligned with the sear 72 of the trigger which enters therecess. The sear 72 engages the rear surface of the recess and maintainsthe striker body assembly 29 in the retracted position. At this time theend of the firing pin 2S is disposed within the horizontally extendingaperture 27 in the front wall 19 of the frame 2. Upon releasing theoperating lever, the striker body and tiring pin 2.8 remain in theretracted position, as illustrated in FIGURE 8 of theaccompanyingdrawings, while the bolt spring 49 returns the bolt 31 toits forwardmost position in engagement with the rear surface of the wall19. When it is desired to ire the piece, the portion 76 of the triggeris pressed rearwardly by the finger causing the trigger to rotate aboutthe pin 15 thereby retracting the sear 72 from the recess 73 andallowing the main spring 37 to force the striker body and ring pinforward at a relatively high velocity.

The resistance to cooking of the piece and the force with which thefiring pin is thrust forward on the firing stroke is determined by theadjustment of the screw 13 which as previously indicated extends throughthe wall 9 and into the recess 35 in the head of the main spring guide38. The portion of the screw 13 disposed in the recess 35 in the head 39defines the rear support for the guide 38 and its adjustment determinesthe degree of cornpression in the spring 37 since by forward or rearwardmovement of the screw i3 and therefore of the head 39 of the guide 3S,the maximum length of the spring is decreased or increased.

It will be noted that a mechanical advantage is obtained with thecocking arrangement of the invention, because the arm 6!) of theoperating arm 63 is longer than the arm 65. Therefore, the piece isrelatively easily cocked by a movement of the handle 80.

The trigger 76 is provided with a safety 84 illustrated in detail inFIGURE 7 of the accompanying drawing. The bottom surface of the wall 2i)of the frame 2 is provided, just to the rear of the trigger when it isin its uncooked position as illustrated in FIGURES l and 3,\

with a transversely-extending horizontal recess in which is disposed thesafety 3ft. lhe safety 84 is retained in the aperture in the frame 2 bymeans of the trigger guard which has a portion behind the triggerextending over the bottom of the rectangular recess in the frame 2. Thesafety mechanism is provided with a pawl-detent arrangement fordetermining two distinct positions ofthe safety 84 transversely of theframe body. Specifically, there is provided a safety spring S5 seated ina verticallyextending recess d6 in the frame immediately above thesafety 84 and a ball 87 which is pressed by the spring 85 into distinctgrooves 38 formed in the upper surface of the safety Sli. The forwardedge of the safety 84 is provided with a rectangular recess 39 of thesame width as the trigger aperture ttl in the wall Ztl and when thesafety is shifted toward the left hand side of the body, the recess 8!is aligned with the recess 40. At this time the trigger may be rotatedsufficiently to withdraw the sear 72 from the recess 73 formed in thestriker body 32. However, with the safety 84 moved to the right, therecess Si? is out of registry with the trigger recess inf the body 2 andthe trigger cannot be moved rearwardly "sufiiciently to cause the scar72 to be retracted from the recess 73.

The advantage of the positioning of the safety irnrmediately to the rearof the trigger and having the safety S4 extending outwardly to the rightof the frame 2l when it is on, is that the finger of the operator may beplaced on the trigger with the safety on and without removing the fingerfrom the trigger the safety may be pressed with the palm of the hand orthat portion of the palm immediately adjacent the knuckle of the triggerlinger so as to remove the safety without necessitating removal of thefinger from the trigger.

Referring now specitically to the breech block cover and breech blockassembly and the eiector mechanism associated therewith, reference isinitially made to FIG- URES l, 3, 8, 9 and l0. The breech block cover 3comprises a body having a longitudinal length approximately equal to thelongitudinal length of the channel-shaped member 21 of the frame 2 andhaving'an upper longitudinally-extending portion conforming to the outerdimensions of the side-walls and 24 of the channel 21 and a lowerlongitudinally-extending portion which conforms closely to thedimensions of the space between ,the

swimsinner surfaces of the walls of the channel 21. As previouslyindicated, the cover 3 is rotatably secured to the frame 2 by means ofthe hinge 15in 5 which extends through aligned apertures in the forwardends of the frame 2 and the cover 3. The upper portion of the channel 21has a large longitudinal1y-extending opening generally designated by thereference numeral 91 (see FIGURE 9) which is adapted to receive the rearsection 92 of the barrel 6. The section 92 of the barrel 6 extendscompletely to the rear of the channel 21 so that when the block assemblyis in the position illustrated in FIGURE 3, that is, with the breechclosed, the rear vertical surface of the barrel 6 abuts, as does therear vertical surface of the cover 3, the forward surface of the wall 19of the frame 2. The barrel 6 may be secured to the cover 3 and blockassembly by any suitable means such VVas brazing or by means of pinsVV93 which are seated in apertures drilled partly through the cover 3block assembly and barrel 6 across the upper and lower surfaces ofengagement between these members. The lower portion of the block 3includes an ejector assembly generally designated by the referencenumeral 94 which comprisesv an ejector hook 96 pivoted about a hook pin97 extending through aligned apertures in the hook 96 and the lowerforward portion of the block assembly adjacent the hinge pin 5. Theejector mechanism 94 further comprises an ejector 98 constituting ahorizontally-extending, cylindrical body portion 99 and a right anglehook or head portion 101 which is normally disposed in a groove in thelower back end of the block assembly adjacent the aperture 91. Thegroove or recess in which the head portion 101 is disposed is such adepth that when the ejector is retracted, the rearward surface of theejector is aligned with the rearward surface of the block assembly. Theejector body 99 is recessed as at 103 to receive a pin 105 which extendstransversely through the bottom portion of the block assembly andthrough the elongated recess 103 to define the forward and rearwardlimits of movement of the ejector 98. The ejector body 99 is providedwith a further recess 104 in its lower surface which is, when theejector is retracted, aligned with a recess 106 extendingthrough andformed in the lower surface of the block assembly in alignment with theback end of the ejector hook 96. The ejector hook 96 comprises a hookportion 107 which is aligned with and may extend through the aperture106 in the block assembly and into the recess 104 in the lower surfaceof the body portion 99 of the ejector 98. The ejector hook 96 is biasedfor rotation about pin 97 by means of a spring 108 which pressesdownwardly upon the end of the ejector hook 96 andy therefore rotatesthe hook member 107 of the ejector hook 96 through the recess 106 andinto the recess 104 in the ejector 98 to retain the ejector 98 in itsretracted position, against the rearward bias applied thereto by meansof an ejector spring 109 disposed to press against the forward end ofthe ejector. The forward endof the ejector hook 96 lies in a verticalslot 111 formed at the forward end of the block assembly. The forwardportion of the bottom surface of the block assembly is tapered upwardlyat a greater angle than the'forward portion of the bottom of the ejectorhook 96, the taper of the forward lower end of the block beingdesignated by the dotted line bearing the reference numeral 112 inFIGURE 3. as more clearly illustrated in FIGURE 9 of the accompanyingdrawings, the forward end of the ejector hook has its lower portionextending below the bottom surface of the block assembly. When the blockassembly is released from the bolt 31, in a manner to be describedsubsequently, the block assembly may be rotated clock wise, as viewed inFIGURE l, about the hinge pin until the inclined portion of the blockdesignated by the dotted line 112 in FIGURE 3 contacts the inner surfaceof the bottom wall 22 of the channel 21 of the frame 2. Immediatelyprior to contact between the inclined portion of the block assembly andthe bottom wall 22 of the Therefore,-

8 channel 21, the bottom surface of the ejector pin 96 is pressedagainst the bottom wall of the channel to produce rotation of theejector hook 96 about pin 97 thereby withdrawing the hook portion 107 ofthe ejector hook 96 from the recess 104 in the ejector. Upon thisoccurrence, which takes place when the block assembly is the positionillustrated in FIGURE l0, the ejector 1s released and ejects the shellwhich is at that time in the barrel, Such a shell being illustrated bythe reference nu= meral 113 in FIGURE 3. It now becomes apparent thatthe forward surfaces 26 of the walls 23 and 244 ofthe channel 21 areinclined to permit rotation of the block assembly. If the surfaces werenot inclined, with the hinge pin 5 located as it is, below the uppersurfaces of these walls 23 and 24, it would be impossible to produceanything but very limited rotation of the block assembly.

The vblock assembly, as previously indicated, is locked in the breechclosed position by the bolt 31. The vertical rear surface of the blockassembly is provided with a transversely and horizontally-extending lipor shoulder 114, formed by a groove 11S, which is adapted to be engagedby the horizontal surface 46 of the bolt 31 when it is in itsforwardmost position into which it is biased by the spring 49. When itis desired to release the block assembly, it is necessary to withdrawthe bolt 31 and this may be done by movement of the operating lever 57.As previously indicated, upon downward movement of the handle of theoperating arm 63, the operating lever 57 is rotated about its arcuateportion 58 disposed in the slot 59 in the lower forward portion of theframe 2. Initially, the head 61 of the operating lever 57 engages theshoulder 34 of the striker body 32 and retracts it suiiciently to causethe sear 72 of the trigger 17 to engage in the recess 73 in the strikerbody 32 and hold it in cocked position.y Since the bolt 31 is alsosecured to the operating lever 57 above its pivot point, it is movedrearwardly upon rotation of the lever, but since it is disposed closerto the pivot point of the lever than the striker body 32,- its rearwardmovement is considerably less than the latter member and thereforecooking of the piece may be effected without withdrawing the bolt 31sufficiently to disengage the shoulder 46 of the Vbolt from the lockinglip or shoulder 114 of the block assembly. Specifically, when theoperating lever 57 has been retracted suliiciently to cock the piece therear surface of the operating lever and the forward surface of the bolt31 assume the position illustrated in FIGUREv 6 by the dotted lines 116and 117, respectively. However, upon rotation of the operating arm 63 toa degree greater than that required to cock the piece, the apparatusassumes the position illustrated in FIGURE l0 and the surface 46 of thebolt 31 is withdrawn completely from the region of the holding shoulder114 of the block assembly' and the block assembly may readily be rotatedabout the hinge pin 5. A

It becomes apparent therefore that the same operating arm 63 is utilizedfor both cocking the mechanism and for releasing the breech blockassembly in order to break the gun and allow access to the barrel forinsertion of a new shell or ejection by the ejector 98 of an old she1l.

This use of the single lever which first cocks the piece and' thenreleases the breech provides a high degree of safety, since the tiringpin is retracted and held in .the wall member 19, by operation of thescar 72, before the breech can be opened. Such operation eliminates thepossibility of the ring pin being in a position to strike the primer pontion of the shell while the breech is still open, or more particularlyWhile the breech is being closed. A further feature of this arrangementis that, should the trigger be pulled while the breech is not locked butclosed sufciently to bring the shell into the region of the tiring pin,the firing pin cannot be propelled forward sufficiently to strike theshell. The head portion 61 of the operating lever 57 is the member whichproduces cooking of the piece. Also, if the block assembly is not in itsposition but has been rotated into its normal position to such a degreethat a shell would be in the region of the firing pin, then the portionof the block assembly adjacent the lip H4 or immediately below the lip114 has contacted the upper curved surface of the bolt Si and has pushedit back to a certain extent, it being obvious that the bolt must becompletely pushed back by this surface when it is wished to close thebreech. With the bolt 31 partially pushed back by the breech, when it isalmost closed, the operating lever 5'7 is rotated away from the wall 19and the head portion 61 is rotated into the path of movement of theshoulder 34 of the striker mechanism 32. Therefore, one of two thingsmust happen under these circumstances, either the shoulder 54 instriking the head portion 6i under the force or the main spring 3'7 willram the bolt home or if the bolt cannot be forced into its fully closedposition, the head portion @l prevents full forward movement of theshoulder 34 and therefore the firing pin 2li and prevents the firing pinfrom contacting the shell. rl`hus, the use of the single operating leverfor cocking and breech unlocking purposes serves the further function ofa safety mechanism for preventing the firing pin from striking a shellwhen the breech is not fully closed.

rl`he apparatus provided by the present invention is extremely simpleand all of the action parts are rendered readily accessible by removalof the action cover 64. It is seen that the only operating partsdescribed which are not rendered readily accessible by the removal ofthe breech block assembly from the frame which is accomplished by thesimple removal of the hinge pin 5 while the safety mechanism which wouldvery rarely give trouble may be reached by simply removing the triggerguard. Another feature of importance is the fact that the main springcompression can be adjusted by simply removing the stock and thereaftermanipulating the screw i3. Further advantages of the apparatus of theinvention result from the arrangement for supporting the trigger whichproduces a large mechanical advantage permitting the trigger to beeasily operated. The ease of actuation of the trigger in combinationwith the ease of cooking the piece renders the apparatus particularlyuseful in training beginners, many of whom are children and do not havethe strength to operate conventional mechanisms. Also, the extremesimplicity of parts and their mounting within the action portion of theframe renders the apparatus economical and easily susceptible of repairor replacement of parts if necessary.

Another important feature ot' the apparatus is the method of supportingthe barrel Within the breech block assembly. it is apparent that thebreech block assembly may accept a number of different gauge or sizebarrels so long as their outer dimensions are proper. The gauge of thebarrel aects only its inner diameter within reason, of course.Therefore, only a single size breech block assembly need be stocked bythe manufacturer and the eventual gauge of the mechanism is determinedonly when the barrel is inserted. Another important advantage of theinvention is the fact that the frame and breech assemblies provided arein weight, size, balance and general physical arrangement quite similarto the corresponding units of an automatic or pump action Shotguns andtherefore the apparatus of the invention may utilize the barrels, stocksand forearms of the more expensive and complex units thereby furtherreducing the manufacturing and inventory costs of the manufacture.

rthe action of this invention makes it possible for manufacturers towarehouse the action and thereby save both warehouse space and thenormal high investment in shotgun inventory. rIhat is to say, orders maycall for varying gauges, barrel lengths, barrel types (plain, rib,ventilated rib), muzzle chokes, fore-end or stock types, etc. To meetsuch demands the manufacturer, prior to starting production, mustattempt to forecast the demands for the innumerable variations, and thenmake up guns 10" in accordance with these estimates. If the customerschoice is not in stock a long Wait may result and the order may becancelled With the action of this invention special orders may always beexpedited. As an example, barrels may be carried in 32 inch lengths andcut back to 28, 26, or similar lengths when ordered, and then installed.Chokes can be swedged into these barrels without trouble at the time ofassembly. Special ribs can be mopnted as ordered and stock alterationscan be made from custom or subcontract facilities if desired.

In addition to the foregoing, the actions of this invention maythemselves be sold commercially. Such a procedure allows gunsmiths, bothprofessional and amateur, to barrel and stock their own gun designs forboth general and experimental use.

While the action of the invention has been discussed in connection withits usage for Shotguns, it may also be used for barreling with specialhigh power rifle barrels. It is currently common to provide actions forsingle shot experirncntal hand loaded cartridges in this country andmost of the actions provided for this purpose are of the turn bolt ordropping block type. The frame pattern of the instant invention, becauseof the metal bulk of the frame and block, will allow use of higherpowered rifle cartridges of the experimental type than any rifle actioncurrently available.

While one specific embodhnent of the invention has been described andillustrated, it will be clear that variations of the details ofconstruction which are specifically illustrated and described may beresorted to without departing from the true spirit and scope of theinvention as defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

An action for a gun comprising a frame having a front wall and a rearwall arranged along the longitudinal axis of said gun, an action coverdisposed between said front and rear walls and having an arcuate slotformed on one side thereof, a bolt reciprocatable in alongitudinally-extending aperture through said front wall, a spring forurging said bolt away from said rear wall and into a position with oneend of said bolt extending through said front wall, a striker bodyhaving a recess in the bottom surface thereof, a firing pin secured toone end of said striker body and disposed in a longitudinal apertureextending through said front wall, a trigger having a scar formedthereon, a spring for biasing said scar toward said bottom surface ofsaid striker body, a main spring for urging said striker body away fromsaid rear wall and into a position with said recess disposed forwardlyof said sear, an operating lever rotatable about and disposed below saidstriker body and said bolt, a bell crank pivoted at its apex forrotating said operating lever away from said front wall, said bell crankhaving a first arm extending substantially vertical and a second armextending rearwardly and upwardly with respect to said front wall, saidiirst arm having an elongated slot formed therein and said second armhaving an operating handle connected at its end and extending throughsaid arcuate slot of said action cover, said striker body having ashoulder disposed in the path of movement of said operating lever sothat said striker body is pressed toward said rear wall upon rotation ofsaid lever, said bolt being disposed below said striker body and havinga longitudinally-extending vertical slot, said operating lever extendingfrom its pivot through said slot of said striker body and terminating ina head portion forward of and aligned with said shoulder of said strikerbody, a rst pin connected to said operating lever for pivotally securingsaid operating lever to said bolt, a second pin connected to said headportion of said operating lever and being disposed within said elongatedslot of said lirst arm of said bell crank so that said operating leveris caused to rotate when said handle of said bell crank is moveddownwardly along said arcuate slot of said action cover, and said boltbeing of such a length that it is completely Withdrawn into said frontwall only after said striker body has been Withdrawn su'iciently t0permit said sear of said trigger to enter said recess in said strikerbody.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 12 PayneSept. 27, 1921 Smith Apr. 12, 1927 Delu Sept. 17, 1929 Blizard Dec. 17,1940 Maynor Ian. 11, 1949 Benson Feb. 12, 1952 Polny Feb. 15, 1955FOREIGN PATENTS France Dec. 1, 1923 France Oct. 15, 1952

